Calvin, Commentary on Micah, Part 17
(... conclusion)
Lecture Ninety-eighth.
Micah 7:15
According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I
shew unto him marvellous [things].
The Prophet here introduces God as the speaker; and he so
speaks as to give an answer to his prayer. God then promises that he
will be wonderful in his works, and give such evidences of his
power, as he exhibited when he brought up his people from the land
of Egypt. We now see that there is more force in this passage, than
if the Prophet had at first said, that God would become the
deliverer of his people: for he interposed entreaty and prayer and
God now shows that he will be merciful to his people; and at the
same time the faithful are reminded, that they must be instant in
prayer, if they desire to be preserved by God.
Now God says that he will show wonderful things as when the
people formerly came out of Egypt. That redemption, we know, was a
perpetual monument of God's power in the preservation of his Church;
so that whenever he designs to give some hope of deliverances he
reminds the faithful of those miracles that they may feel assured
that there will be no obstacles to prevent them from continuing in a
state of safety, provided God will be pleased to help them, for his
power is not diminished.
And this deserves to be noticed; for though we all allow the
omnipotence of God, yet when we struggle with trials, we tremble, as
though all the avenues to our preservation had been closed up
against God. As soon then as any impediment is thrown in our way, we
think that there is no hope. Whence is this? It is because we make
no account of God's power, which yet we confess to be greater than
that of the whole world.
This is the reason why God now refers to the miracles which he
wrought at the coming forth of the people. They ought to have known,
that God ever continues like himself, and that his power remains as
perfect as it was formerly; and there is in him sufficient support
to encourage the hope of assistance. We now perceive the object of
the Prophet. He indeed changes the persons; for in the beginning he
addresses the people, according to the days of thy going forth, and
then he adds, "'ar'ennu", 'I will make him to see;' but this change
does not obscure the meaning, for God only means, that his power was
sufficiently known formerly to his people, and that there was a
memorable proof of it in their redemption, so that the people could
not have doubted respecting their safety, without being ungrateful
to God, and without burying in oblivion that so memorable a benefit,
which God once conferred on their fathers. It follows -
Micah 7:16,17
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they
shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of
their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the
LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.
Here again the Prophet shows, that though the Church should be
assailed on every side and surrounded by innumerable enemies, no
doubt ought yet to be entertained respecting the promised aid of
God; for it is in his power to make all nations ashamed, that is, to
cast down all the pride of the world, so as to make the unbelieving
to acknowledge at length that they were elated by an empty
confidence. Hence he says, that "the nations shall see"; as though
he said, "I know what makes you anxious, for many enemies are intent
on your ruin; and when any help appears, they are immediately
prepared fiercely to resist; but their attempts and efforts will not
prevent God from delivering you."
"They shall then see and be ashamed of all their strength." By
these words the Prophet means, that however strongly armed the
unbelieving may think themselves to be to destroy the Church, and
that how many obstacles soever they may have in their power to
restrain the power of God in its behalf, yet the whole will be in
vain, for God will, in fact, prove that the strength of men is mere
nothing.
He adds, "They shall lay their hand on their mouth"; that is,
they shall not dare to boast hereafter, as they have hitherto done;
for this phrase in Hebrew means to be silent. Since then the enemies
of the Church made great boastings and exulted with open mouth, as
though the people of God were destroyed, the Prophet says, that when
God would appear as the Redeemer of his people, they should become,
as it were, mute. He subjoins, "their ears shall become deaf"; that
is, they shall stand astounded; nay, they shall hardly dare to open
their ears, lest the rumour, brought to them, should occasion to
them new trembling. Proud men, we know, when matters succeed
according to their wishes, not only boast of their good fortune with
open mouths, but also greedily catch at all rumours; for as they
think they are all so many messages of victories, - "What is from
this place? or what is from that place?" They even expect that the
whole world will come under their power. The Prophet, on the other
hand, says, "They shall lay the hand on the mouth, and their ears
shall become deaf; that is they shall tremblingly shun all rumours,
for they shall continually dread new calamities, when they shall see
that the God of Israel, against who they have hitherto fought, is
armed with so much power.
Some apply this to the preaching of the Gospel; which I readily
allow, provided the deliverance be made always to begin with the
ancient people: for if any one would have this to be understood
exclusively of Christ, such a strained and remote exposition would
not be suitable. But if any one will consider the favor of God, as
continued from the return of the people to the restoration effected
by Christ, he will rightly comprehend the real design of the
Prophet. Really fulfilled, then, is what the Prophet says here, when
God spreads the doctrine of his Gospel through the whole world: for
those who before boasted of their own inventions, begin then to
close their mouth, that, being thus silent, they may become his
disciples; and they also close their ears, for now they give not up
themselves, as before, to foolish and puerile fables, but consecrate
their whole hearing to the only true God, that they may attend only
to his truth, and no more vacillate between contrary opinions. All
this, I allow, is fulfilled under the preaching of the Gospel; but
the Prophet, no doubt, connected together the whole time, from the
return of the people from the Babylonian exile, to the manifestation
of Christ.
He afterwards adds, "They shall lick the dust as a serpent". He
intimates, that however the enemies of the Church may have proudly
exalted themselves before, they shall then be cast down, and lie, as
it were, on the ground; for to lick the dust is nothing else but to
lie prostrate on the earth. They shall then be low and creeping like
serpents; and then, "They shall move themselves as worms and
reptiles of the ground". The verb "ragaz", as it has been stated
elsewhere, means to raise an uproar, to tumultuate, and it means
also to move one's self; and this latter meaning is the most
suitable here, namely, that they shall go forth or move themselves
from their enclosures; for the word "sagar" signifies to close up:
and by enclosures he means hiding-places, though in the song of
David, in Psalm 18, the word is applied to citadels and other
fortified places, - 'Men,' he says, 'trembled from their
fortresses;' though they occupied well-fortified citadels, they yet
were afraid, because the very fame of David had broken down their
boldness. But as the Prophet speaks here of worms, I prefer this
rendering, - 'from their lurkingplaces;' as though he said, "Though
they have hitherto thought themselves safe in their enclosures, they
shall yet move and flee away like worms and reptiles; for when the
ground is dug, the worms immediately leap out, for they think that
they are going to be taken; so also, when any one moves the ground,
the reptiles come forth, and tremblingly run away in all
directions." And the Prophet says that, in like manner, the enemies
of the Church, when the Lord shall arise for its help, shall be
smitten with so much fear, that they shall in every direction run
away. And this comparison ought to be carefully noticed, that is,
when the Prophet compares powerful nations well exercised in wars,
who before were audaciously raging, and were swollen with great
pride - when he compares them to worms and reptiles of the ground,
and also to serpents: he did this to show, that there will be
nothing to hinder God from laying prostrate every exalted thing in
the world, as soon as it shall please him to aid his Church.
And hence the Prophet adds, "On account of Jehovah our God they
shall treed, and they shall fear because of thee. Here the Prophet
shows, that the faithful ought not to distrust on account of their
own weakness, but, on the contrary, to remember the infinite power
of God. It is indeed right that the children of God should begin
with diffidence, - sensible that they are nothing, and that all
their strength is nothing; but they ought not to stop at their own
weakness, but, on the contrary, to rise up to the contemplation of
God's power, that they may not doubt but that, when his power shall
appear, their enemies shall be soon scattered. This is the reason
why the Prophet here mentions the name of God, and then turns to
address God himself. "Tremble then shall they at Jehovah our God",
that is, on account of Jehovah our God; and then "Fear shall they
because of thee." It now follows -
Micah 7:18
Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth
by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth
not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.
The Prophet here exclaims that God ought to be glorified
especially for this - that he is merciful to his people. When he
says, "Who is God as thou art?" he does not mean that there are
other gods; for this, strictly speaking, is an improper comparison.
But he shows that the true and only God may be distinguished from
all idols by this circumstance - that he graciously forgives the
sins of his people and bears with their infirmities. It is indeed
certain, that all nations entertained the opinion, that their gods
were ready to pardon; hence their sacrifices and hence also their
various kinds of expiations. Nor has there been any nation so
barbarous as not to own themselves guilty in some measure before
God; hence all the Gentiles were wont to apply to the mercy of their
gods; while yet they had no firm conviction: for though they laid
hold on this first principle, - that the gods would be propitious to
sinners, if they humbly sought pardon; yet they prayed, we know,
with no sure confidence, for they had no certain promise. We hence
see that what the Prophet means is this, - that the God of Israel
could be proved to be the true God from this circumstance - that
having once received into favor the children of Abraham, he
continued to show the same favor, and kept his covenant inviolably,
though their sins had been a thousand times a hindrance in the way.
That God then in his goodness surmounted all the wickedness of the
people, and stood firm in his covenant, which had been so often
violated by vices of the people - this fact may be brought as an
evidence, that he is the true God: for what can be found of this
kind among idols? Let us suppose that there is in them something
divine, that they were gods, and endued with some power; yet with
regard to the gods of the Gentiles, it could not be known that any
one of them was propitious to his own people. Since then this can
apply only to the God of Israel, it follows that in this instance
his divinity shines conspicuously, and that his sovereignty is hence
sufficiently proved. We also learn, that all the gods of heathens
are vain; yea, that in the religion of heathens there is nothing but
delusions: for no nation can with confidence flee to its god to
obtain pardon, when it has sinned. This is the sum of the whole. I
shall now come to the words of the Prophet.
"Who is a God like thee, taking away iniquity, and passing by
wickedness?" By these two forms of expression, he sets forth the
singular favor of God in freely reconciling himself to sinners. To
take away sins is to blot them out; though the verb "nasa'" often
means to raise on high; yet it means also to take, or, to take away.
To pass by wickedness, is to connive at it, as though he said, "God
overlooks the wickedness of his people, as if it escaped his view:"
for when God requires an account of our life, our sins immediately
appear, and appear before his eyes; but when God does not call our
sins before his judgment, but overlooks them, he is then said to
pass by them.
This passage teaches us, as I have already reminded you, that
the glory of God principally shines in this, - that he is
reconcilable, and that he forgives our sins. God indeed manifests
his glory both by his power and his wisdom, and by all the judgments
which he daily executes; his glory, at the same time, shines forth
chiefly in this, - that he is propitious to sinners, and suffers
himself to be pacified; yea, that he not only allows miserable
sinners to be reconciled to him, but that he also of his own will
invites and anticipates them. Hence then it is evident, that he is
the true God. That religion then may have firm roots in our hearts,
this must be the first thing in our faith, - that God will ever be
reconciled to us; for except we be fully persuaded as to his mercy,
no true religion will ever flourish in us, whatever pretensions we
may make; for what is said in Ps. 130 is ever true, 'With thee is
propitiation, that thou mayest be feared.' Hence the fear of God,
and the true worship of him, depend on a perception of his goodness
and favor; for we cannot from the heart worship God, and there will
be, as I have already said, no genuine religion in us, except this
persuasion be really and deeply seated in our hearts, - that he is
ever ready to forgive, whenever we flee to him.
It hence also appears what sort of religion is that of the
Papacy: for under the Papacy, being perplexed and doubtful, they
ever hesitate, and never dare to believe that God will be propitious
to them. Though they have some ideas, I know not what, of his grace;
yet it is a vain presumption and rashness, as they think, when any
one is fully persuaded of God's mercy. They therefore keep
consciences in suspense; nay, they leave them doubtful and
trembling, when there is no certainty respecting God's favor. It
hence follows, that their whole worship is fictitious; in a word,
the whole of religion is entirely subverted, when a firm and
unhesitating confidence, as to his goodness, is taken away, yea,
that confidence by which men are enabled to come to him without
doubting, and to receive, whenever they sin and confess their guilt
and transgressions, the mercy that is offered to them.
But this confidence is not what rises spontaneously in us; nay,
even when we entertain a notion that God is merciful, it is only a
mere delusion: for we cannot be fully convinced respecting God's
favor, except he anticipates us by his word, and testifies that he
will be propitious to us whenever we flee to him. Hence I said at
the beginning, that the Prophet here exhibits the difference between
the God of Israel and all the idols of the Gentiles, and that is,
because he had promised to be propitious to his people. It was not
in vain that sacrifices were offered by the chosen people, for there
was a promise added, which could not disappoint them: but the
Gentiles ever remained doubtful with regard to their sacrifices;
though they performed all their expiations, there was yet no
certainty; but the case was different with the chosen people. What
then the Prophet says here respecting the remission of sins, depends
on the testimony which God himself has given.
We must now notice the clause which immediately follows, as to
the remnant of his heritage. Here again he drives away the
hypocrites from their vain confidence: for he says that God will be
merciful only to a remnant of his people; and, at the same time, he
takes away an offense, which might have grievously disquieted the
weak, on seeing the wrath of God raging among the whole people, -
that God would spare neither the common nor the chief men. When
therefore the fire of God's vengeance flamed terribly, above and
below, this objection might have greatly disturbed weak minds, -
"How is this? God does indeed declare that he is propitious to
sinners, and yet his severity prevails among us. - How can this be?
"The Prophet meets this objection and says, "God is propitious to
the remnant of his heritage;" which means, that though God would
execute terrible vengeance on the greater part, there would yet ever
remain some seed, on whom his mercy would shine; and he calls them
the remnant of his heritage, because there was no reason, as it was
stated yesterday, why God forgave the few, except that he had chosen
the posterity of Abraham.
He also adds, "He will not retain his wrath perpetually". By
this second consolation he wished to relieve the faithful: for
though God chastises them for a time, he yet forgets not his mercy.
We may say, that the Prophet mentions here two exceptions. He had
spoken of God's mercy; but as this mercy is not indiscriminate or
common to all, he restricts what he teaches to the remnant. Now
follows another exception, - that how much soever apparently the
wrath of God would rage against his elect people themselves, there
would yet be some moderation, so that they would remain safe, and
that their calamities would not be to them fatal. Hence he says, God
retains not wrath; for though, for a moment, he may be angry with
his people, he will yet soon, as it were, repent, and show himself
gracious to them, and testify that he is already reconciled to them;
- not that God changes, but that the faithful are made for a short
time to feel his wrath; afterwards a taste of his mercy exhilarates
them, and thus they feel in their souls that God has in a manner
changed. For when dread possesses their minds, they imagine God to
be terrible, but when they embrace the promises of his grace, they
call on him, and begin to entertain hope of pardon; then God appears
to them kind, gentle, and reconcilable; yea, and altogether ready to
show mercy. This is the reason why the Prophet says, that God
retains not his wrath.
Then follows the cause, for he loveth mercy. Here the Prophet
more clearly shows, that the remission of sins is gratuitous, and
that it has no foundation but in the nature of God himself. There is
then no reason, since Scripture declares God to be reconcilable, why
any one should seek the cause in himself, or even the means by which
God reconciles himself to us: for He himself is the cause. As God
then by nature loves mercy, hence it is, that he is so ready to
forgive sinners. Whosoever then imagines that God is to be
propitiated by expiations or any satisfactions, subverts the
doctrine of the Prophet; and it is the same thing as to build
without a foundation: for the only prop or support that can raise us
up to God, when we desire to be reconciled to him, is this, - that
he loves mercy. And this is the reason why God so much commends his
mercy, why he says that he is merciful to thousand generations, slow
to wrath, and ready to pardon. For though the unbelieving harden
themselves against God, yet when they feel his wrath, there is
nothing so difficult for them as to believe that God can be
pacified. Hence this reason, which is not in vain added by the
Prophet, ought to be especially noticed.
Let us now see to whom God is merciful. For as Satan could not
have obliterated from the hearts of men a conviction of God's mercy,
he has yet confined mercy to the unbelieving, as though God should
forgive sinners only once, when they are admitted into the Church.
Thus the Pelagians formerly thought, that God grants reconciliation
to none but to aliens; for whosoever has been once received into the
Church cannot, as they imagined, stand otherwise before God than by
being perfect. And this figment led Novatus and his disciples to
create disturbances in the Church. And there are at this day not
only deluded men, but devils, who, by the same figment, or rather
delirious notions, fascinate themselves and others, and hold, that
the highest perfection ought to exist in the faithful; and they also
slander our doctrine, as though we were still continuing in the
Alphabet or in the first rudiments, because we daily preach free
remission of sins. But the Prophet declares expressly that God not
only forgives the unbelieving when they sin, but also his heritage
and his elect. Let us then know, that as long as we are in the
world, pardon is prepared for us, as we could not otherwise but fall
every moment from the hope of salvation, were not this remedy
provided for us: for those men must be more than mad who arrogate to
themselves perfection, or who think that they have arrived at that
high degree of attainment, that they can satisfy God by their works.
It now follows -
Micah 7:19
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue
our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of
the sea.
The Prophet now prescribes to the faithful a form of glorying,
that they may boldly declare that God will be pacified towards them.
Since then God loves mercy, he will return, he will have mercy on
us. The context here ought to be observed by us; for it would avail
us but little to understand, I know not what, concerning God's
mercy, and to preach in general the free remission of sins, except
we come to the application, that is, except each of the faithful
believed that God, for his own sake, is merciful, as soon as he is
called upon. This conclusion, then, is to be borne in mind, - "God
forgives the remnant of his heritage, because he is by nature
inclined to show mercy: he will therefore be merciful to us, for we
are of the number of his people." Except we lay hold on this
conclusion, "He will therefore show mercy to us," whatever we have
heard or said respecting God's goodness will vanish away.
This then is the true logic of religion, that is, when we are
persuaded that God is reconcilable and easily pacified, because he
is by nature inclined to mercy, and also, when we thus apply this
doctrine to ourselves, or to our own peculiar benefit, - "As God is
by nature merciful, I shall therefore know and find him to be so."
Until then we be thus persuaded, let us know that we have made but
little progress in the school of God. And hence it appears very
clear from this passage, that the Papacy is a horrible abyss; for no
one under that system can have a firm footing, so as to be fully
persuaded that God will be merciful to him; for all that they have
are mere conjectures. But we see that the Prophet reasons very
differently, "God loves mercy; he will therefore have mercy on us:"
and then he adds, "He will return"; and this is said lest the
temporary wrath or severity of God should disquiet us. Though God
then may not immediately shine on us with his favor, but, on the
contrary, treat us sharply and roughly, yet the Prophet teaches us
that we are to entertain good hope. - How so? He will return, or, as
he said shortly before, He will not retain perpetually his wrath:
for it is for a moment that he is angry with his Church; and he soon
remembers mercy.
The Prophet now specifies what sort of mercy God shows to the
faithful, For he will tread down our iniquities; he had said before
that he passes by the wickedness of his elect people. "He will then
tread down our iniquities; and he will cast into the depth of the
sea all their sins; that is our sins shall not come in remembrance
before him. We hence learn what I have said before - that God cannot
be worshipped sincerely and from the heart until this conviction be
fixed and deeply rooted in our hearts, that God is merciful, not in
general, but toward us, because we have been once adopted by him and
are his heritage. And then were the greater part to fall away, we
should not fail in our faith; for God preserves the remnant in a
wonderful manner. Andy lastly, let us know, that whenever we flee to
God for mercy, pardon is ever ready for us, not that we may indulge
in sin, or take liberty to commit it, but that we may confess our
faults and that our guilt may appear before our eyes: let us know,
that the door is open to us; for God of his own good will presents
himself to us as one ready to be reconciled.
It is also said, "He will cast our sins into the depth of the
sea." We hence learn that there is a full remission of sins, not
half as the Papists imagine, for God, they say, remits the sin, but
retains the punishment. How frivolous this is, the thing itself
clearly proves. The language of the Prophet does however import
this, that our sins are then remitted when the records of them are
blotted out before God. It follows - for I will run over this verse,
that I may to-day finish this Prophet -
Micah 7:20
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham,
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
The faithful confirm here the former truth, that God had
deposited his covenant with them, which could not be made void: and
hence also shines forth more clearly what I have said before, that
the faithful do not learn by their own understanding what sort of
Being God is, but embrace the mercy which he offers in his own word.
Except God then speaks, we cannot form in our own minds any idea of
his grace but what is uncertain and vanishing; but when he declares
that he will be merciful to us, then every doubt is removed. This is
now the course which the Prophet pursues.
He says, "Thou wilt give truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham,
which thou hast sworn to our fathers"; as though he said, "We do not
presumptuously invent any thing out of our own minds, but receive
what thou hast once testified to us; for thy will has been made
known to us in thy word: relying then on thy favor, we are persuaded
as to thy gratuitous pardon, though we are in many respects guilty
before thee." We now then understand the design of the Prophet.
As to the words, it is not necessary to dwell on them, for we
have elsewhere explained this form of speaking. There are here two
expressions by which the Prophet characterizes the covenant of God.
Truth is mentioned, and mercy is mentioned. With respect to order,
the mercy of God precedes; for he is not induced otherwise to adopt
us than through his goodness alone: but as God of his own will has
with so great kindness received us, so he is true and faithful in
his covenant. If then we desire to know the character of God's
covenant, by which he formerly chose the Jews, and at this day
adopts us as his people, these two things must be understood, that
God freely offers himself to us, and that he is constant and true,
he repents not, as Paul says, as to his covenant: "The gifts and
calling of God," he says, "are without repentance," (Rom. 11: 29;)
and he refers to the covenant, by which God adopted the children of
Abraham.
He says now, "Thou wilt give", that is, show in reality; for
this, to give, is, as it were, to exhibit in effect or really. Thou
shalt then give, that is, openly show, that thou hast not been in
vain so kind to us and ours, in receiving them into favor. How so?
Because the effect of thy goodness and truth appears to us.
"Thou hast then sworn to our fathers from the days of old". The
faithful take for granted that God had promised to the fathers that
his covenant would be perpetual; for he did not only say to Abraham,
"I will be thy God," but he also added, "and of thy seed for ever."
Since, then, the faithful knew that the covenant of God was to be
perpetual and inviolable, and also knew that it was to be continued
from the fathers to their children, and that it was once promulgated
for this end, that the fathers might deliver it as by the hand to
their children; they therefore doubted not but that it would be
perpetual. How so? for thou hast sworn to our fathers; that is, they
knew that God not only promised, but that having interposed an oath,
by which God designed to confirm that covenant, he greatly honored
it, that it might be unhesitatingly received by the chosen people.
As then the faithful knew that God in a manner bound himself to
them, they confidently solicited him, really to show himself to be
such as he had declared he would be to his own elect.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as we abound in so many vices, by which we
daily provoke thy wrath, and as by the testimony of our consciences,
we are justly exposed to everlasting death, yea, and deserve a
hundred and even a thousand deaths, - O grant, that we may strive
against the unbelief of our flesh, and so embrace thine infinite
mercy, that we may not doubt but that thee wilt be propitious to us,
and yet not abuse this privilege by taking liberty to sin, but with
fear, and true humility, and care, so walk according to thy word,
that we may not hesitate daily to flee to thy mercy, that we may
thereby be sustained and kept in safety, until having at length put
off all vices, and being freed from all sin, we come to thy
celestial kingdom, to enjoy the fruit of our faith, even that
eternal inheritance which has been obtained for us by the blood of
thy only-begotten Son. Amen.
End of the Commentaries on Micah.
Calvin, Commentary on Micah, Part
(Conclusion, Calvin's Commentary on Micah)
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